JIM BARRY THE ARMAGH SHIRAZ 2019

Armagh holds a special place in the hearts and minds of a number of our customers with an association going back to the very first vintages in the 1980's. The price and world-wide acclaim have increased somewhat since then. Consistently regarded as one of Australia's top Shiraz. The Armagh vineyard was planted by Jim Barry in 1998 and has proven to be a superb site for Shiraz. A powerhouse wine with layers of flavours that fill the palate. Much, much too young to be drunk, this deserves another 5-8 years and then to be enjoyed over the next 20. This is regarded as a top vintage.

Winery notes (2019 Vintage)
"The name of ‘Armagh’ was bestowed by the original Irish settlers who arrived in 1849, and named the lush rolling hills after their homeland. The vineyard was planted by Jim Barry in 1968 and yields less than two tonnes per acre. The soil is sandy-gravel and receives an average rainfall of 600mm per year. The vineyard lies on a north-west facing slope which acts as a natural sun trap, ensuring the fruit is always fully ripened when picked.

Deep crimson. Classical blackberry, praline, ginger, sage aromas with mocha oak notes. Luxurious blackberry pastille, blackcurrant, black cherry fruits, superb fine chocolatey / velvet tannins and beautifully balanced mocha / vanilla / smoky oak notes. Finishes velvety / gravelly firm with raspberry, graphite / bush garrigue notes. A hugely impressive long-lasting Clare Valley Shiraz with lovely fruit definition, density and vigour."

98/100 Georgina Hindle, Decanter UK​, June 2023 (2019 Vintage)
"Wild roses, smoked meats, perfumed strawberries and green peppercorns, I love the nose on this wine. Broad and imposing straight away, layered and deep the tannins make the first mark, really filling the mouth with a chalky, velvety plushness that is massy and so wide. The tannins do most of the talking but once they subside and melt into the cheeks, the spiced red berry fruit, liquorice, flint/slate, tobacco, clove, dark chocolate cinnamon and leather come through – this is full of complexity, muscle and power yet carries so much aromatic interest. Clearly still young and not as generous or easy going as the 2018 at this point last year but this is built to last and has something so utterly charming and inviting about it. Totally moreish and delightful. I adore this wine but put it away and come back to it in a few years. 3.5pH. Ageing 18 months in French oak. Winemakers Peter and Tom Barry."

97/100 Erin Larkin, RobertParker.com, June 2023 (2019 Vintage)
"The vineyard that the fruit for this iconic Australian wine is sourced from was planted in 1968, giving us the benefit of over 50 years of vine age—a very good thing when we consider fruit tannin and concentration. In addition to the vineyard placement and vine age, Clare Valley benefits from a wide-ranging array of elevation (190 meters to 610 meters) with high diurnal range. All of this means ripe wines, tense wines, and powerful wines, which just about sums up Clare Valley. So, to this wine: The 2019 The Armagh Shiraz is complex, layered and spiced, with a multitude of hung deli meats and small goods packed in alongside the purple fruits and exotic spice. The wine is supple, for all the power, and unfurls over a long finish to show the muscle and might of this iconic wine. In a vertical of four vintages (2016, 2017, 2018 and this 2019), this has the second-highest alcohol of the lot, at 14.1%, showing that concentration and density doesn't have to come at the expense of finesse. I love this."

96/100 JamesSuckling.com (2019 Vintage)
"I like this. A typically rich Armagh, boasting ample Australian swagger glimpsed through a lens of contemporary freshness. Very different to certain iterations past. Think smoked charcuterie, violets, blue fruits and pepper grind, with a sachet of Indian spice emptied across the firm, tautly knit tannins, nicely gritty and moreish. A long, penetrative finish and a whiff of mint. Burly, exotic and energetic all at once. A winning triumvirate. Best after 2025."

96/100 Antonio Galloni, Vinous (2019 Vintage)
"The 2019 Syrah Armagh Vineyard is a classic Pax Mahle wine. Deep, ample and explosive, the 2019 possesses tremendous density from start to finish. Dark blue/black fruit, lavender, mocha, grilled herbs and tobacco all meld together as this sumptuous, intense Syrah shows off its considerable allure. The whole clusters are there, but pretty much buried by the sheer intensity of the fruit."